Memories from long ago...New Orleans

The disaster in New Orleans brought back long forgotten memories of trips there.

June 1972
- Fresh out of high school, I took my first car trip down to New Orleans with my friends Carl and Perry. We tooled down in Perry's father's new 1972 Chevrolet Impala...vroom vroom! 14 miles per gallon! 34 cents per gallon!

Theoretically, it was to visit Judy, my red-head high school sweetheart who had just moved down there. (for those that know me, the red-head is a recurring theme in my life). Little did I know that Carl and Perry were BOTH sweet on her, too, and it because of this competition of wooing that soured our friendship a lot.

We touristed as much as 18 year olds would want to and as much as our few dollars in pocket would allow. Audubon Zoo, French Quarter, Fat City, Brennan's (yum! $5.95 for an all you can eat buffet!) A trip east of the city to the beautiful white sand beaches. Nice sunburn, boys! We opted to come back whenever we could!

February 1976
- My last semester at Louisiana Tech. My high school friend Dale had moved to Grand Canyon Arizona, in the midst of a disasterous marriage (to a woman that turned out to be a Lesbian), but wanted to go to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. He invited several of his close friends to make the trip out with him, and I arranged to drive down and meet him there. I was seriously dating Judy then, long-distance, and we made the secret arrangement to all stay at Judy's house...although we hadn't asked her parents! Comedy of errors, but it eventually worked out.

Was my 3rd Mardi Gras by then, but as a shy 'straight' boy. Very repressed! We all made friends though, and it's when I met his GC roommate, Jene Shaffstall. Very handsome and personable, always a smile. Over the weekend, although I was with Judy, I was 'oddly attracted' to him...It probably shows in the picture I have of us all on her staircase.

August 1977
- Background: In April, 1976, I made the crazed decision that after I finished school the next month, I'd move to the Grand Canyon for a few months before I started my 'accounting career'...whatever that was. After moving there, Dale ended up moving on to California for a bit, and I became friends and roommates with Jene. Very good friends. Way too good. But because of that, and my continuing long-distance relationship with Judy Davis, I made the decision to GET MARRIED! So, plans were made, mostly with her parents involvement, but not mine. We'd marry in August 1977, at Keesler Air Force Base near Biloxi, where her father had been stationed.

So, out I fly to New Orleans for my wedding. Dale, Jene, Perry, my family, her family etc etc all there and involved. We spent a whirlwind day in New Orleans first, then the bachelor party (ouch!) that night, then the drive across I-10 to Biloxi, then the wedding where I felt totally clueless, then back to New Orleans in the brand new Marriott on Canal Street for the beginning of the honeymoon (don't ask), then to Corpus Christi, and back to Grand Canyon to begin our blissful married life.

December 2003
- My oh my, has time passed! Fell in love (infatuation) with Jene, came out of that stifling closet, got divorced, never consummated with Jene, met my first man partner, moved from Grand Canyon to Albuquerque, found square dancing, found gay chorus, and EVENTUALLY found Danny. :-)

Danny and I took a great 3 day side trip to New Orleans from Bossier over Christmas 2003...lots of memories popped up during the trip, but it was a different life, a different time. New Orleans has ALWAYS been bitter-sweet for me. And the 26 years in between the last visit and this one had a whole different feel.

I see the video clips of New Orleans the way it became on August 29, 30, and today...I saw all those places up close and first hand. I drove the roads, causeway/freeways, and bridges that are now destroyed or under water.

And I feel their grief. It's very hard to watch.

Memories from long ago...New Orleans

The disaster in New Orleans brought back long forgotten memories of trips there.

June 1972
- Fresh out of high school, I took my first car trip down to New Orleans with my friends Carl and Perry. We tooled down in Perry's father's new 1972 Chevrolet Impala...vroom vroom! 14 miles per gallon! 34 cents per gallon!

Theoretically, it was to visit Judy, my red-head high school sweetheart who had just moved down there. (for those that know me, the red-head is a recurring theme in my life). Little did I know that Carl and Perry were BOTH sweet on her, too, and it because of this competition of wooing that soured our friendship a lot.

We touristed as much as 18 year olds would want to and as much as our few dollars in pocket would allow. Audubon Zoo, French Quarter, Fat City, Brennan's (yum! $5.95 for an all you can eat buffet!) A trip east of the city to the beautiful white sand beaches. Nice sunburn, boys! We opted to come back whenever we could!

February 1976
- My last semester at Louisiana Tech. My high school friend Dale had moved to Grand Canyon Arizona, in the midst of a disasterous marriage (to a woman that turned out to be a Lesbian), but wanted to go to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. He invited several of his close friends to make the trip out with him, and I arranged to drive down and meet him there. I was seriously dating Judy then, long-distance, and we made the secret arrangement to all stay at Judy's house...although we hadn't asked her parents! Comedy of errors, but it eventually worked out.

Was my 3rd Mardi Gras by then, but as a shy 'straight' boy. Very repressed! We all made friends though, and it's when I met his GC roommate, Jene Shaffstall. Very handsome and personable, always a smile. Over the weekend, although I was with Judy, I was 'oddly attracted' to him...It probably shows in the picture I have of us all on her staircase.

August 1977
- Background: In April, 1976, I made the crazed decision that after I finished school the next month, I'd move to the Grand Canyon for a few months before I started my 'accounting career'...whatever that was. After moving there, Dale ended up moving on to California for a bit, and I became friends and roommates with Jene. Very good friends. Way too good. But because of that, and my continuing long-distance relationship with Judy Davis, I made the decision to GET MARRIED! So, plans were made, mostly with her parents involvement, but not mine. We'd marry in August 1977, at Keesler Air Force Base near Biloxi, where her father had been stationed.

So, out I fly to New Orleans for my wedding. Dale, Jene, Perry, my family, her family etc etc all there and involved. We spent a whirlwind day in New Orleans first, then the bachelor party (ouch!) that night, then the drive across I-10 to Biloxi, then the wedding where I felt totally clueless, then back to New Orleans in the brand new Marriott on Canal Street for the beginning of the honeymoon (don't ask), then to Corpus Christi, and back to Grand Canyon to begin our blissful married life.

December 2003
- My oh my, has time passed! Fell in love (infatuation) with Jene, came out of that stifling closet, got divorced, never consummated with Jene, met my first man partner, moved from Grand Canyon to Albuquerque, found square dancing, found gay chorus, and EVENTUALLY found Danny. :-)

Danny and I took a great 3 day side trip to New Orleans from Bossier over Christmas 2003...lots of memories popped up during the trip, but it was a different life, a different time. New Orleans has ALWAYS been bitter-sweet for me. And the 26 years in between the last visit and this one had a whole different feel.

I see the video clips of New Orleans the way it became on August 29, 30, and today...I saw all those places up close and first hand. I drove the roads, causeway/freeways, and bridges that are now destroyed or under water.

And I feel their grief. It's very hard to watch.